The growing epidemic of Lyme Disease

This is a reboot of an older blog post. My computer has seen fit to take a deep dive and we are waiting on parts. Please reread as it could save your life.

One Sunday in June of 2012, I thought I had gotten the flu. All the symptoms were there. Body aches, fever, chills. I waited it out a couple of days and it only got worse. Horrific headaches and chills like I had never had before, and all of the flu-like symptoms were ten-fold. I went to the doctor and they had no clue but ordered a blood test per our request. Most of my wife’s family have had Malaria and said that my symptoms were similar to Malaria symptoms. We had been to India 15 months before, but also know it is not unheard of people getting Malaria in this country, just very rare.

A second set of blood tests came back positive for Lyme disease. Damn ticks. I was put on a heavy dose of antibiotics that Friday and by Sunday, I was coming out of it. All I can say is that it kicked my butt. It took me a couple of weeks to get my full strength back. A few days later we found a tick on my wife’s hip. Luckily she did not get it.

Image from the internet.

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, the infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks.  Laboratory testing is helpful if used correctly and performed with validated methods. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. Steps to prevent Lyme disease include using insect repellent, removing ticks promptly, applying pesticides, and reducing tick habitat. The ticks that transmit Lyme disease can occasionally transmit other tickborne diseases as well.  – CDC website

This leads me to tell you that since then, the number of cases has skyrocketed and everyone should check for these nasty critters. Due to global warming (Sorry Dear Leader, it’s true) more and more cases are being diagnosed farther North than ever.

I never found the one on me, but the saucer-sized deep red area on my hip, right at my waistline, was the only physical indication that she was there. The bite area is not always shaped like a bullseye, nor is it always seen. Mine looked like a huge dark red/purple bruise and was burning hot to the touch and didn’t show up for a couple of days after the symptoms started.

Some people get the disease and don’t even know it, but have years of all types of symptoms. Some get it with relapses every so often, and some get it once and done. So far so good for me.

Be safe. It’s a jungle out there!

© 2020 Michael Roseberry. Most photos taken with Nikon D3300.

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